Cricket
26 February, 2026
Warracknabeal juniors crowned premiers
The Warracknabeal junior cricket team secured victory in the final round of the Warracknabeal District Junior Cricket Association to be crowned premiers after defeating the Southern Mallee Giants by 50 runs at Brim on Saturday.
Last week the Giants won the toss in the all-important decider, and with the weather perfect for cricket they took to the field, sending the Warracknabeal team in to bat.
The Warracknabeal innings started off rather quickly, with openers Oliver Holland and Jaiden Cooksley scoring freely with strong stroke play.
The Giants' bowlers were struggling to find good line and length early.
However, with the score on 88 and a change in the attack, Luke Moore provided the Giants with their first wicket, getting the scalp of Cooksley for 48 runs.
The second wicket followed shortly after with Bayden Jenkinson trapped in front LBW for 7 by Ned Jones.
Jed Hartnett came to the crease and steadied the ship with 32 runs before being dismissed with a good catch taken by Murphy Jochenkie.
The middle order for Warracknabeal worked hard to keep the runs flowing, with Isaac Credlin clipping a handy 20 runs and Sam Williamson 23 not out as Warracknabeal closed the day at 5/215 from their 40 overs.
Luke Moore was the pick of the Giants bowlers with figures of 2/15 and Denzel Hallam was also hitting the spot with 2/25 from six overs.
The sun certainly had some sting in it early on Saturday morning as day two of the game was moved forward to avoid forecast rain on Sunday.
The day was warm, and the Giants were fired up as well as they had a full line-up with the return of Parker and Lawson Hallam, along with Lenny Weir, all of whom had been unavailable the week before.
Opening batsman Lenny Weir was dismissed on the third ball of the day as Issac Credlin took a sharp catch in gully off the bowling of Jaiden Cooksley.
This early wicket was a positive start for Warracknabeal but it brought Parker Hallam to the crease.
The pressure was on the Giants but young Hallam didn’t succumb to the pressure at all; in fact, he saw it as an opportunity take the game on.
Hallam played one of the finest knocks in junior cricket history, playing quality strokes to all parts of the field.
Colt Decker was a wonderful support at the other end with confident and purposeful stroke play.
The two put on 80 runs at almost a run a ball before Hallam completed his innings with successive boundaries to retire with 53*.
Decker followed shortly after, being dismissed for 13.
Ned Jones and Clancy Weir made valuable contributions with the bat, with 13 and 20 runs respectively; however, wickets continued to fall as the game slowly slipped away from the Giants.
Jaiden Cooksley finished his six overs with 2/25.
In the end, it was Sam Williamson who bowled the Giants out of the game with accurate, tight bowling which included the crucial wicket of Colt Decker.
Sam Williamson was also involved in two spectacular runouts, with one being a direct hit to dismiss the in-form Giants number five batter Ned Jones.
In the end, the total was just too much for the Giants as they fell 50 runs short, giving victory to Warracknabeal.
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